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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27875537">defining the moment</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/withoutwords/pseuds/withoutwords'>withoutwords</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ballum Tumblr Fics [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EastEnders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:34:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>701</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27875537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/withoutwords/pseuds/withoutwords</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You want me to be your boyfriend?” he asks softly, the two of them as close as they can be without being called out for public indecency. </p>
<p>“Yeah. And I wanna be yours.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ballum Tumblr Fics [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040865</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>defining the moment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s almost midnight already. Ben’s nursing the same beer he’s had for half an hour and listening to Lou go on about the baby as if she’s the first person to have one. (That’s not fair, he knows.) Across the room Callum is chatting with Whit and Tiff and he’s smiling and beautiful and Ben wants to grab him and go home.</p>
<p>Except they’d arrived late - Callum held up at work, and Ben’s mum coming around to go over plans for the Albert - and he didn’t want to let Jay down any more than he probably has.</p>
<p>Although in his defence, he really doesn’t think Jay or Lola would even care. They’re too wrapped up in their own engagement bliss to even notice.</p>
<p>“You’re such a sap,” Lou says with a laugh, knocking Ben out of his stupor.</p>
<p>“Huh? What?”</p>
<p>“You, staring at Halfway like you ain’t seen him before.”</p>
<p>“Shut up,” Ben mutters, hating the way he can feel his face flush as he takes another sip of his beer. It’s the first time they’ve come to an event as a couple - the first time Ben can look over and meet Callum’s eye and think and know and tell people, he’s mine.</p>
<p>“What’re you standing with me for?”</p>
<p>“Well, you’re my sis, I love ya.”</p>
<p>Lou scoffs at him and gives him a push in Callum’s direction. “Get outta here,” and Ben doesn’t need to be told twice. He grabs another beer on his way over and silently elbows his way into the group.</p>
<p>It’s not like it’s been a painless transition. Whit’s been amazing, sure, and given Callum so much support during his coming out. But he’s pretty sure she and most of the village think Callum deserves a lot better than Ben Mitchell. Ben doesn’t disagree.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey,” Callum says a little shyly, grasping Ben’s shoulder and pulling him in. “Where’ve you been?”</p>
<p>“Just with Lou.”</p>
<p>“Oh, she’s here? Tiff, let’s go see how she’s going,” Whit says, giving them a tight smile and racing off. Ben scoffs.</p>
<p>“That was subtle.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Them two, running as soon as I got here.”</p>
<p>Callum gives him a look. “That ain’t true.”</p>
<p>“Cal,” Ben says with a laugh, passing the extra beer to him. “You’re so nice. You know that?”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“And. What’s a nice lad like you doing with a mean, old man like me?”</p>
<p>Callum just shakes his head, amused, as he takes a sip of his beer. He’s dressed down in a t-shirt and jeans but he still looks good. he always looks good. It used to torture Ben, seeing him and not being able to touch. He can now.</p>
<p>“Kiss me,” he tells Callum, grabbing at the front off his shirt. Callum looks like he’s about to spit out his beer.</p>
<p>“Jesus, what’re you playing at?” he says with a laugh, backing into the wall behind him. He’d asked Ben for discretion at the start, not wanting to hurt people, not wanting to draw attention. But it’s been months now, and Ben’s a little possessive.</p>
<p>And he just wants people to know. This is real.</p>
<p>“You’re a nice lad, and you like me, right?”</p>
<p>“You know I do, Ben, what - how much have you had to drink?”</p>
<p>“Not much. Why? I gotta be drunk to want my boyfriend to kiss me?”</p>
<p>This time another look flashes across Callum’s face. Not laughter, or teasing - he’s soft and surprised and in awe. Ben pulls back a little, realising what he’s done; he’s said a word they haven’t used yet. Put a name to something they haven’t really figured out.</p>
<p>“Boyfriend?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well,” Ben says, turning his face, but this time Callum pulls him in closer.</p>
<p>“You want me to be your boyfriend?” he asks softly, the two of them as close as they can be without being called out for public indecency. </p>
<p>“Yeah. And I wanna be yours.”</p>
<p>Callum smiles, tipping his nose in to touch it to Ben’s. “Okay.”</p>
<p>“Okay?”</p>
<p>“I mean yes. I want that too. I really want that.”</p>
<p>“Good. Great. Stellar. So, uh.” They both laugh. “So what now?”</p>
<p>“So,” Callum says, slow, looking around the room at the growing crowd. “KIss me.”</p>
<p>Ben does. </p>
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